Nike has suspended its relationship with Kyrie Irving and canceled plans to release his next signature shoe, the latest chapter in the ongoing fallout since the Brooklyn Nets guard tweeted a link to a movie containing anti-Semitic material.
The footwear giant announced Friday night that it will end its relationship with Irving, a day after he was suspended by the Nets for what the team called a repeated failure to “state unequivocally that he does not hold anti-Semitic beliefs.”
These actions followed widespread criticism from, among many others, the Anti-Defamation League and NBA Commissioner Adam Silver.
“At Nike, we believe there is no place for hate speech and we condemn any form of anti-Semitism,” the Beaverton, Oregon-based company said. “Therefore, we have made the decision to suspend our relationship with Kyrie Irving effective immediately and will no longer be releasing the Kyrie 8.”
“We are deeply saddened and disappointed by the situation and its impact on everyone.”
Irving signed with Nike in 2011, shortly after becoming the first overall pick in that year’s NBA draft. Irving’s first signature shoe was released three years later, and the popularity of the Kyrie line led to him earning $11 million annually from Nike’s endorsement alone.
Irving’s sneakers are seen during a game against the New Orleans Pelicans in New York City on October 19. (Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
The Kyrie 8 was expected to release next week. Previous models of his shoes were still for sale on Nike’s website Friday night.
Irving posted a tweet, which has since been deleted, last week with a link to the documentary Hebrews to Negroes: Wake Up Black America, which includes Holocaust denial and conspiracy theories about Jews. In a contentious postgame interview session last Saturday, Irving defended his right to post whatever he wants.
The falls only continued from there. The NBA released a statement over the weekend that did not name Irving, but denounced all forms of hate speech. Fans wearing “Fight Antisemitism” T-shirts occupied some courtside seats at the Brooklyn-Indiana game Monday night, a day after he took down the tweet.
‘I’m deeply sorry’
Irving said Wednesday that he opposes all forms of hate, and he and the Nets announced they would each donate $500,000 to groups working to eradicate it.
Silver then issued a new statement asking Irving by name to apologize, and Irving declined to give a direct answer when asked Thursday if he held anti-Semitic beliefs.
Later Thursday, a few hours after being suspended at least five games, Irving posted an apology on Instagram for not explaining the specific beliefs he agreed and disagreed with when he posted the documentary.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver’s statement on Kyrie Irving: “…I’m disappointed that he didn’t offer an unqualified apology…I will meet with Kyrie in person next week to discuss this situation.” pic.twitter.com/9u1Y2j2jBw
—@ShamsCharania
“To all the Jewish families and communities who are hurt and affected by my post, I deeply regret having caused you pain and apologize,” Irving wrote.
“At first I reacted out of emotion at being unfairly labeled anti-Semitic, instead of focusing on the healing process of my Jewish brothers and sisters who were hurt by the hateful comments made in the documentary.”
Controversial opinions
Irving becomes the second high-profile celebrity in less than two weeks to lose a major shoe deal over anti-Semitism. Adidas was forced to part ways with Ye, the rapper formerly known as Kanye West, late last month, a move the German company said would lead to losses of about $250 million this year after stopping production of his Yeezy product line, as well as stopping payments to Ye and his companies.
For weeks, Ye made anti-Semitic comments in interviews and on social media, including a post on Twitter that would soon go to “death con 3 on JEWISH PEOPLE,” an apparent reference to the U.S. defense readiness scale of five levels known as DEFCON.
Irving has expressed controversial opinions throughout his career. He repeatedly asked if the Earth was round before apologizing to the science teachers. Last year, his refusal to receive a COVID-19 vaccine resulted in him being banned from most of the Nets’ home games.
The Nets played in Washington on Friday, winning 128-86 without Irving. The 42-point victory tied for the fourth largest in Nets franchise history.
Brooklyn general manager Sean Marks said earlier Friday that Irving’s apology was a step forward, but that it will take several more steps before he can resume playing.
“There’s going to be some steps and remedial measures that have been put in place so that he’s obviously looking for some advice … to deal with some anti-hate leaders and some Jewish leaders within our community,” Marks said. “He’ll have to sit down with them, he’ll have to sit down with the organization after that, and we’ll evaluate and see if this is the right opportunity to bring him back.”
The Nets and coach Steve Nash parted ways on Tuesday, news that has been overshadowed by the Irving saga.